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Matt Dominguez Trade: A Big Mistake For the Marlins

December 21, 2012 in Offseason

In order to try and jumpstart the offense last year, the Marlins traded away their top 3B prospect, Matt Dominguez, to the Astros for Carlos Lee. “El Caballo” was expected to help create more run production for the Marlins, who were also facing  a lot of time without Giancarlo Stanton, to try and get the team out of cardiac arrest.

A few weeks later, the Marlins ended up trading Hanley Ramirez to the Dodgers. The rest is (bad) history for the Marlins as they began their project of jettisoning their heavy payroll for a fresh start.

Now the Marlins are in a serious bind. They are without a 3B for the immediate and foreseeable future. There is no clear vision at the position and in their desperation, the Marlins have been trying to hammer out some sort of a plan.

Before settling for Polanco, the Marlins were reportedly kicking the tires on several other teams’ young 3B options. They talked to the Rangers about Mike Olt, the Tigers about Nick Castellanos, and the Padres about Jedd Gyorko. They also tried to pry Mark Trumbo from the Angels, but that fizzled. Details about these discussions are not available, but it could be assumed that Ricky Nolasco was tossed in there as a possible scenario.

This is troubling because it shows a front office that panicked and ended up gambling away from a position of severe weakness to broker its future. It also perhaps shows the naivete that this front office may possess in trying to pry away top prospects from other organizations without having much to offer in return. A deal for Olt would make sense if the Rangers believed in Nolasco enough, but that certainly doesn’t seem to be the case. At any rate, the Marlins are settling for a short term fix and with Zack Cox and Derek Dietrich in the system, it remains to be seen what the long term vision will be.

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Not Likely: Possible Nolasco For Trumbo Deal Not Happening

December 21, 2012 in Offseason

While the past few days rumors have surfaced that the Marlins were talking with the Angels about a possible Ricky Nolasco for Mark Trumbo swap, there are strong suggestions that this possible scenario is dead.

First of all, there is the Kendry Morales for Justin Vargas (an ex-Marlin) deal. The Angels were able to trade one of their biggest strengths (power hitting) for a lefty starter to add depth to their rotation. Both teams actually got better after this deal, and although Nolasco may seem an equitable return for Trumbo, his price tag ($11.5M) may have been a bit too much to swallow even for the Angels. Vargas is in the mid-$2M range, and is a wash for Morales’ departing contract.

Trumbo also may have been pushed over to 3B for the Marlins. Recently the Marlins tried to acquire Nick Castellanos from the Tigers, but in falling short of that they may have shopped the Angels for Trumbo. Signing Polanco seems to be waiving the white flag on finding a third baseman and all but confirms the roster, as of now, is settled.

Juan Rodriguez of the Sun-Sentinel confirmed our suspicions via Twitter today, too. So, don’t bet on Trumbo settling in with Stanton any time soon here in Miami.

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Is Placido Polanco Really The Best Move for Marlins 3B?

December 20, 2012 in Offseason

Placido PolancoWhat can you expect from Placido Polanco? A solid bat with an excellent glove at 3B. He will not knock the cover off the ball and crush home runs but he will put the ball in play and make contact, and will help move runners along – something the Marlins could not do last year.

Polanco has won gold gloves and has been to the All Star game as a starter. The only concerns are his age (37) and the health of his back which limited him last season to only 90 games. If healthy, you are looking at a guy who can man the hot corner between 120-140 games at best.

On a young team like the Marlins are going to be, he does provide a sense of leadership and direction on the field. He can show the younger players how to be professionals and how to approach the game. He plays smart, not flashy. Polanco is steady and never shaken, something the Marlins can benefit from.

But is this the right choice for the direction of this franchise? The Marlins seemed to be exploring options but have realized that they have little to offer to vastly improve the team. The trade options they do have don’t make sense for contenders. Teams are not looking for young prospects AND trying to win now. There are reports that the Marlins were trying to make a deal for Nick Castellanos from the Tigers, but outside of Giancarlo Stanton, the Marlins have nothing the Tigers want. The best asset remains Ricky Nolasco but his value may not be quite where it should be in this market that is searching for pitching and he may need to rebuild his value.

So, the Fish had to do the next best thing – find someone that can fill the gap for the upcoming season and hope that someone emerges internally to make the 3B spot in the future. The organization is a bit thin at the hot spot since trading away top 3B prospect Matt Dominguez to land Carlos Lee from the Astros last season. Ironically, that deal was made to help improve the offense but instead the Marlins totally did an about-face and traded away Hanley Ramirez, deciding to cut ties and go in another direction. It has been a tailspin for this organization ever since.

Last season the Marlins got a .266 AVG wtih 18 HRs, 72 RBIs, 18 SBs, and 122 Ks from their 3B last season. Polanco could improve the average, cut down on the strike outs, but don’t expect much else. He will also defend much better which could help save some runs.

Discuss with us in our Fish Tank forum!

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